Chat with Us
The three-act
structure is a model used in screenwriting that divides a fictional
narrative into three parts, often called the Setup, the Confrontation and the
Resolution.
The first act is usually used
for exposition, to establish the main characters, their relationships and
the world they live in. Later in the first act, a dynamic, on-screen incident
occurs that confronts the main character (the protagonist), whose attempts to
deal with this incident lead to a second and more dramatic situation, known as
the first turning point, which (a) signals the end of the first act, (b)
ensures life will never be the same again for the protagonist and (c) raises a
dramatic question that will be answered in the climax of the film. The dramatic
question should be framed in terms of the protagonist's call to action, (Will X
recover the diamond? Will Y get the girl? Will Z capture the killer?). This is
known as the inciting incident, or catalyst. As an example, the
inciting incident in the 1972 film The Godfather is when Vito
Corleone is attacked, which occurs approximately 40 minutes into the film.
The second act, also referred to
as "rising action", typically depicts the protagonist's attempt to
resolve the problem initiated by the first turning point, only to find him- or
herself in ever worsening situations. Part of the reason protagonists seem
unable to resolve their problems is because they do not yet have the skills to
deal with the forces of antagonism that confront them. They must not
only learn new skills but arrive at a higher sense of awareness of who they are
and what they are capable of, in order to deal with their predicament, which in
turn changes who they are. This is referred to as character
development or a character arc. This cannot be achieved alone and
they are usually aided and abetted by mentors and co-protagonists.
The third act features the
resolution of the story and its subplots. The climax is the scene or
sequence in which the main tensions of the story are brought to their most
intense point and the dramatic question answered, leaving the protagonist and
other characters with a new sense of who they really are.
Film Genre. Explain any five film genres
Film genres are various forms or
identifiable types, categories, classifications or groups of films that are
recurring and have similar, familiar or instantly-recognizable patterns,
syntax, filmic techniques or conventions - that include one or more of the
following: settings (and props), content and subject matter, themes, mood,
period, plot, central narrative events, motifs, styles, structures, situations,
recurring icons (e.g., six-guns and ten-gallon hats in Westerns), stock
characters (or characterizations), and stars.
1)
Action films usually include high energy, big-budget
physical stunts and chases, possibly with rescues, battles, fights, escapes,
destructive crises (floods, explosions, natural disasters, fires, etc.),
non-stop motion, spectacular rhythm and pacing, and adventurous, often
two-dimensional 'good-guy' heroes (or recently, heroines) battling 'bad guys' -
all designed for pure audience escapism.
2)
Comedies are light-hearted plots consistently and
deliberately designed to amuse and provoke laughter (with one-liners, jokes,
etc.) by exaggerating the situation, the language, action, relationships and
characters.
3)
Crime (gangster) films are developed around the
sinister actions of criminals or mobsters, particularly bank-robbers,
underworld figures, or ruthless hoodlums who operate outside the law, stealing
and murdering their way through life.
4)
Horror films are designed to frighten and to invoke our
hidden worst fears, often in a terrifying, shocking finale, while captivating
and entertaining us at the same time in a cathartic experience.
5) Sci-fi
films are often quasi-scientific, visionary and imaginative - complete with
heroes, aliens, distant planets, impossible quests, improbable settings, fantastic
places, great dark and shadowy villains, futuristic technology, unknown and
unknowable forces, and extraordinary monsters ('things or creatures from
space'), either created by mad scientists or by nuclear havoc.